Worst ride ever?

This was a stressful week at work. I'm on vacation next week (and the weather is looking really good) so I had a ton of stuff to get done by the end of the week. By the end of the day Friday, all I wanted to do was start my vacation by going for a bike ride. The weather was 45 degrees and rainy, but I didn't care.

I headed out for a two hour out and back loop on the IM course. My raincoat was keeping me warm and everything was great...until mile 13. A flat. I don't know what it is with wheels on my Fastback, but tires are really hard to change. Any other wheels and I'm okay, but those wheels are a real struggle for me. So I fought with the tire for about 10 or 15 minutes on the side of the road in the cold rain.

After I got the tire fixed I decided to head home. 7 miles from home, flat number 2. I didn't have a second tube so I just kept on riding. I was afraid that sitting down would put too much weight on the rear wheel and destroy the rim, so I stood the whole way home. Of course, the rain picked up and the temperature dropped.

Other than the Mt. Evans Hillclimb (pictured) this was my worst ride ever. What a way to start my vacation.

McMillan Running

A few weeks ago I discovered the McMillan Running website (www.mcmillanrunning.com) and have been using their pace calculator to determine my pace zones for workouts. It's pretty cool. You just enter a race result (I did my 5K time from the Shamrock Shuffle) and it gives you estimated race results along with pace zones for long runs, tempo runs, intervals...

So far it has proven to be very accurate. I've been using it for my workouts as well as Cheri's, and we've both been able to run in the zones it's giving us even though we sometimes doubt we can hold that pace for a long time, but we always do.

Yesterday, I did the Black Earth Brick. According to McMillan Running, I should be able to run a 10 mile race in 1:11 - a 7:08 pace. I had my doubts on holding that pace for that long, but so for McMillan's has been accurate so I decided to stick with it. Since I rode hard on Friday and I was biking to the race, I figured I would shoot for somewhere in the 7:20-7:30 range. That's probably about the equivalent of running a 7:08 without biking before the event.

I was a little worried about my legs being tired from Friday's ride, but they didn't feel too bad in the morning, a little stiff and sore but not as bad as I expected. My plan was to take it easy on the way out and stay in the pack as much as possible. It was really windy so I didn't want to do any pulling. I just wanted to sit in and save it for the run. Things don't always go according to plan.

There was a group of maybe 40 or 50 cyclist and triathletes at Fleet Feet. I was planning on getting a group of triathletes figuring they would take it a little slower thinking about the run, and the cyclists - some of whom weren't running - would push the pace more. I headed out with the first group. The pace was pretty moderate, and I stayed in the middle of group. After about 5 miles, the pace picked up on a descent and I looked back and discovered we had become a group of 5 well out in front of the rest of the pack...oh yeah, I was with a group of cyclists, not triathletes...no aerobars in this pack. After the descent, the pace stayed at 20 mph the rest of the way and we had a really strong headwind. There were 2 cyclists up front who were pulling and having a conversation and they seemed content to pull the whole way so I hung in and took advantage of the draft. About 4 miles from Black Earth, one of the cyclists got tired of pulling into the wind and pulled over so that left the pulling up to me. I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice and I ended up pulling the group the last 4 miles into Black Earth...and that hurt. That wind was brutal.

Luckily, we had about an hour to kill before the start of the race so I had some time to recover. The race went really well, and I now have even more confidence in McMillan's than I did before. It's a great resource. I headed out running between 7:20-7:30 hoping to pick up the pace a little toward the end if I felt good, and that's exactly what I did so I'm really happy with my performance yesterday. Negative splits at a 10 mile race is a great way to boost your confidence and build enthusiasm for an upcoming half marathon. Here are my splits:

Mile 1 = 7:23
Mile 2 = 7:24
Mile 3 = 7:23
Mile 4 = 7:24
Mile 5 = 7:24
Mile 6 = 7:19
Mile 7 = 7:13
Mile 8 = 7:17
Mile 9 = 7:11
Mile 10 = 6:50

According to my Garmin, the course was 10.07 miles and my time was 1:13:15, a 7:16 average pace. I didn't stick around to see results so have no idea how I did.

Even though there was a tailwind on the way back to Fleet Feet, it was still a tough ride because the climbs on the way back are tougher...plus I was pretty tired from the run. Black Earth is only 15 miles from Fleet Feet - not the 20 that was advertised. I live 5 miles from Fleet Feet so I ended the day with 40 miles on the bike and 10 miles running. I'm glad it wasn't 20 miles to Black Earth because another 10 miles would've been a killer.

It was a great training day, but now my legs are really sore this morning. Good thing today is an easy day.

Opening Day

It was opening day at Miller Park today, and the Brewers destroyed the giants 13-4. So far they're 3-1. Not a bad way to start the season.

Today, I got a little stupid at lunch and I think I'm going to pay the price. Tomorrow is the Black Earth Race, a 10 mile run. I don't really care how I do, but I would like to run well. Mainly I'm using this race as a training run for the Madison Half Marathon, and I figured this should give me a good idea on pacing for the half marathon.

Fleet Feet, a local running store, is celebrating their birthday this week and they're celebrating by turning the Black Earth Race into a birthday brick. A group is meeting at the store, biking to Black Earth (20 miles), running the race, then biking back to Fleet Feet. Since Fleet Feet is only 5 miles from my house, I figured I'll bike to Fleet Feet for the brick rather than drive. That will give me a total of 50 miles cycling and 10 miles running for the day. That's gonna be a tough day.

Here's where I got stupid: this week is a recovery week for me, and since I've been beating myself into the ground for a while I decided to take it really easy this week. My only hard day for the week was going to be tomorrow. I've been following the plan, but today the weather was really nice and I felt really good. I was riding alone at lunch, and I was pretty fired up with the 52 degree temps and sunshine. I finally got to ditch the shoe covers and trade the leg warmers for knee warmers. So I decided to push the pace a bit, and now my legs are tired and sore and I'm not sure they're going to be fully recovered by tomorrow.

I never learn.

Here's the data from today's ride:






Check out tomorrow's weather. First time all year we're going to hit 60 degrees. 13 mph winds with gusts of 25. It might be a tough workout. I hope someone feels like doing all the pulling because I'm pretty sure I won't feel like it.




I bought a new bike, and it arrived last week but I haven't put it together yet. I'll be working on it tonight. I put Cheri's bike together first since I've built a road bike before and I had a general idea what I was doing. I've never built a tri bike so it's going to be an interesting evening.

I wanted to get the Cannondale Slice 3, but it was backordered until the middle of summer so I upgraded to the Slice 1. The only problem is that I don't know what to do with the wheels now. I really didn't want these wheels, and that's why I wanted the Slice 3. I was planning on using my Reynolds wheels with the Powertap. I might sell them. I've been checking e-bay and there aren't many sets for sale and there's very little bidding on them. If I can't get a decent price for them it's not worth selling them.

We'll see. Here's a picture of the new ride. I'll post some real pictures of the new bikes later. I forgot to get Cheri's camera from her.

Practicing Nutrition

We got about 6 inches of snow yesterday, so riding outside wasn't an option today. It's not easy getting back on the trainer after a taste of outdoor riding. Luckily, it looks like the snow is melting quickly so it shouldn't be too much longer before I'm back on the roads.

Last weekend I did a long brick and didn't eat enough so I got really hungry on the run. It was a short run, so I survived, but I realized I need to start learning what and how much to eat on long workouts. I've gotten lazy eating during workouts, and many times I eat very little. In fact, I didn't eat anything during most of my 2 1/2 hour trainer rides this winter.

Today's brick had more of a run focus, so nailing the nutrition on the bike was going to be key or the run would be a killer. The bike was 2 hours on the trainer followed by a 90 minute run. I picked up a packet of Hammer Nutrition's Sustained Energy at the bike shop to try on the bike. It's a powder you mix with water and it has about 350 calories.

I did a bit of research and figured 250 calories per hour on the bike should be sufficient. Then I planned on another 180 calories of Hammer Gel on the run. I dug out my Fuel Belt, which I've only used once before and didn't like, to give it another try for the run. I don't know any other way to carry gel and water on the run, so I figured I better get used to it.

Here's the plan for the bike: 1/2 bottle of Sustained Energy and 1 Fig Newton and 1 bottle of water (1 bottle of Nuuns, 1 bottle of Propel) per hour.

The run: 90 calories of Gel about 35 minutes in, another 90 at the 65-70 minute mark. Water when needed.

Afterwards: Endurox with extra Glutamine mixed in for recovery.




Then I layed out my gear for the run...




Then I got the bike set up...




Before...





During...





After (not smiling anymore)...




Then the best part of every brick workout... The Ceas (Little Ceasars)...





Here's a picture of Cheri returning from her workout, an 8 mile run. I'm not supposed to post this because she doesn't approve of close ups post workout, but I don't listen very well...





All in all it was a good workout. I'd say I nailed the nutrition because the run went well and I wasn't hungry at any point. I'm not used to eating that much on the bike so I had to force it down a bit, but it was worth it. I'm on the fence with Sustained Energy. It doesn't taste good, which is okay, but it made me belch for the entire 2 hours on the bike. Considering some of the other options, that's not that bad but I think I might try some other drinks to see if there's something else out there I'll like better. The true test will come on a brick that has a 3 or 4 hour bike ride, but this was a good starting point.

Spring? I don't think so.

Yesterday as I rode my bike home from work, and it was sunny and warm, I thought, "it's not going to snow tomorrow. No way."

Today, as we're getting pounded with snow - already a few inches - I'm thinking, "I can't believe I rode my bike outside yesterday." What a difference a day can make.

Last spring I did a few road races and had a blast. Now that spring is here...I mean almost here...I've been bitten by the racing bug, big time. The first race I did was the Pedal for Proceeds race in Whitewater and that race is the same day as Crazylegs this year so I can't do it. The next race I did was the Tour de Dells, and it's not on the schedule so it looks like I can't do that one either. Then there are a ton of TTs on the schedule, which I'm looking forward to doing a few of them, but no road races.

So I started browsing the race schedules for Illinois and Iowa to see if there's anything remotely close coming up, and I found a race that looks interesting: The Hillsboro Roubaix.

The race is March 29, so I would have virtually no time to prepare. And it's not really that close...it's outside St. Louis. About 5 hours from Madison. But it's a road race. It's coming up. And it includes some brick roads so this would truly be a spring classic...a good way to whip myself into shape (and get dropped).





It's a little crazy for me to pack up and head to St. Louis to race considering I only have 150 outdoor miles under my belt and this is a sanctioned race and I don't have a license. I could get a one-day license, so that's not really an issue. I'd probably get shelled, but that's okay. It's March. It's okay to be out of shape in March.

I wonder if Cheri would be up for a road trip? Pack up the bikes and head down to St. Louis Friday evening, race Saturday morning, then head out for a ride afterwards so Cheri can get some miles in and then head home. I still have some Marriott rewards points left so I could get a free hotel room. That's tempting. Hmmmm...

I also came across a double header weekend coming up in Des Moines on April 5 & 6: The Altoona Road Race and The Big Creek Road Race. It's very doubtful I would do that one, but it does look like a lot of fun. Here are a few other upcoming events that look tempting:

4/5 - Black Earth 10 mile race (run)
4/6 - John Frasier Memorial TT - 16K - Chicago
4/12 - American Cancer 5K/10K
4/13 - 20K TT in Kansasville, WI (Milwaukee)
4/20 - Cherry Valley 30K TT - Cherry Valley, IL (Rockford)
4/27 - Harvard Road Race - Harvard, IL
5/3 - Peanut Butter Duathlon - Rockford IL
5/3 - Dar's Midwest TT - 16 miles - Willard, WI

I'm real tempted to get some bike racing in this spring because I don't think I'll be able to this summer. I'll be busy doing triathlons, and many of my weekends will be spent going for long rides (probably followed by a short run).

I'm having a hard time committing to one discipline. So far on my race schedule, I've got road races, time trials, 5Ks/10Ks, a half marathon, duathlons, aquathons and triathlons.

Doing a Wolfgram

One of my co-workers rode his bike to work the other day, then rode home and threw his bike on the trainer and rode some more and he was accused of "doing of Wolfgram." I'm not sure if I've ever rode my bike home from work and then put it on the trainer, but I would.

I'm not sure exactly what qualifies, but I may have done a Wolfgram today. I rode my bike to work for the first time this year, then I rode at lunch, then I rode home, then I rode out Paoli and back, then I changed into my running gear and ran 5.5 miles.

This was my second brick of the year, and it was a tough one. I wanted to push hard on this one and go at about 90% effort. The bike was pretty tough because of the wind and the 26 miles I had already ridden today. My legs were feeling it....and, of course, the headwind was on the way home...as always.

The run went surprisingly well. With my legs being tired toward the end of the bike, I thought I was going to struggle through the run but I got into a rhythm and enjoyed the run. I've really been enjoying running lately. I'm getting hooked.

Here's how dumb I am: I had this brick workout planned and knew it was going to be tough so what do I do? I asked a few of my co-workers - who happen to be very good cyclists - if they want to ride out to Paoli and back at lunch tomorrow since there's snow on the way Friday and it's going to be 46 degrees tomorrow. They're up for the ride, but now I'm thinking I just set myself up for a beating. I got in a total of 44 miles today including my commute and I ran 5.5 miles. Tomorrow morning I'm going to get up and run another 5 miles, then bike to work and try to hang with those guys at lunch...which is going to be a challenge. Then I'll ride home and go to the pool. Does that count as a Wolfgram? Two Wolfgrams two days in a row? Good thing Friday is an easy day.

Today, Cheri did her first speed workout on the treadmill. I came up with an interval run for her to do that had a few striders at the end. I tried to make the workout tough, but not an all out beating. I was confident she could hit the times, but she was skeptical. She hit all the pace zones and said the workout wasn't as tough as she thought it was going to be. It was tough, but not brutal, which I was really happy to hear because I've never come up with an interval workout for someone else to do. I know what pace zones I can run, but it's tough figuring that out for someone else.

Her running has been coming along really well, and she's starting to enjoy it a lot. Mainly, because she learning that you don't need to run hard all the time and it's okay to go out and run at a comfortable pace...and you can actually get faster doing that. She'll be doing her longest run ever this weekend - 8 miles. Here's hoping it goes well....

Shamrock Shuffle

I didn't really have any expectations for this race after yesterday's workout. I wanted to do well and run hard, but I didn't expect to set a PR or do very well in the standings. The one goal I had was to finish with negative splits. I always go out too hard and die toward the end and I'm trying to change that and learn to pace myself better.

My legs felt better than I expected this morning. They were a little stiff and sore, but not too bad. I had some Special K and a bagel for breakfast, stretched for a while and headed to the Overture Center to register.

They had to change the course due to all of the ice, so the new course was an out and back on Observatory, which is hilly so I expected the race to be tough. The first mile was a struggle. My legs felt slow and sluggish and Observatory killed me. I was hurtin. But what goes up, must come down and I was able to pick up the pace and recover a bit on the backside of Observatory hill. Then there was a short flat section before the turn around and I was able to hold a steady pace and recover from the hills....just in time to run them again. The second time was tough, but I was able to pick up a few spots and close the gap on two runners in front of me.

I was pretty spent after those hills, and there was still about a half mile to go and two runners in front of me I wanted to pass. I've been reading a book on Steve Prefontaine, and I thought about a quote of his that last half mile that helped me close the gap and eventually pass those 2 runners.

"A lot of people run to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts."

It's a good quote to think about at the end of a 5K, because everyone is hurting that last half mile and it's all about guts at that point. Who's willing to ignore the pain and push themselves to their limits? Who's willing to suffer the most?

My only goal for this race was to run negative splits, and I met that goal so I'm really happy about that. In retrospect, I should've pushed a little harder on that first mile, but I'm not going to stress over that because I had no idea what pace I could hold for 3.1 miles. I haven't run this hard in a long time. It was a good way to start the year.

I think this was a PR too...by a couple of seconds. I'm not sure though. I can't remember what my best time is. If it's not a PR, it's very close. My goal is to break 20 minutes, so I'm not really concerned with PRs that aren't under 20. As for the standings, I have no idea where I finished. They haven't posted the results yet so I'll post those later along with a few pictures. Here are my splits:

Time: 20:25
Mile 1 = 6:53
Mile 2 = 6:36
Mile 3 = 6:32
Last .1 = 5:07


Update: They posted the results. I got 11th place overall, 3rd in my division - better than I thought I did so I'm pretty happy with my results. Officially my time was 20:29.